Klaus Kinski, Polish-Born Actor Who Starred In Werner Herzog Films

AP

LAGUNITAS, Calif. - Klaus Kinski, the bulbous-eyed actor who starred as the megalomaniac Aguirre and the vampire Nosferatu in German director Werner Herzog's films, was found dead at his home. He was 65.

The Polish-born father of actress Nastassja Kinski appeared to have died of natural causes, the Marin County coroner's office said yesterday. Autopsy results will not be available for two weeks.

Mr. Kinski, known for his intense stare, had supporting roles in "Dr. Zhivago" and "The Little Drummer Girl." In the 1950s and 1960s he appeared in such Westerns as "For a Few Dollars More."

In Europe, he starred in the Herzog films "Aguirre, The Wrath of God" and "Nosferatu, the Vampire."

A friend found Mr. Kinski's body Saturday at his home in Lagunitas, about 30 miles north of San Francisco, after Mr. Kinski missed a meeting with his son.

Mr. Kinski was born Nikolaus Gunthar Nakazynski and moved with his family to Germany during the Depression. At 16, he was drafted into the German army.

On his second day of combat in the Netherlands he was captured and spent World War II in a British prison camp.

He was married three times. Ruth Brigitte Toeki, the mother of Nastassja Kinski, was Mr. Kinski's second wife.